BJP leaders call Emergency 'darkest period of Indian democracy'; Congress says current leadership 'never supported it'

Politicians from parties such as the BJP and Congress took to Twitter to express their thoughts on Monday to mark the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency that then-prime minister Indira Gandhi had imposed in 1975. While BJP leaders such as Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah and other called it the “darkest period of Indian democracy”, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the present leadership never supported the Emergency. Gandhi imposed Emergency on 25 June, 1975 on account of international disturbances, suspending key fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution to every citizen. Arun Jaitley: The Union finance minister, in a series of tweets, compared Indira Gandhi to German dictator Adolf Hitler and said that both never abrogated the Constitution. “They used a republican Constitution to transform democracy into dictatorship. Hitler arrested most of the opposition Members of Parliament & converted his minority Government in Parliament into a 2/3rd majority govt,” Jaitley wrote on Twitter.

Mrs. Gandhi's imposition of Emergency under Article 352, suspension of fundamental rights under Article 359 and her claim that “disorder was planned by the opposition in the country”, echoed Hitler's “Reichstag” episode as exposed by the Nuremberg trials after 13 years

— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) June 25, 2018

Both Hitler & Mrs. Gandhi never abrogated the Constitution. They used a republican Constitution to transform democracy into dictatorship. Hitler arrested most of the opposition Members of Parliament & converted his minority Government in Parliament into a 2/3rd majority govt.

— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) June 25, 2018

The Representation of People Act was retrospectively amended to insert those provisions so that the invalid election of Mrs. Gandhi could be validated by changes in law. Unlike Hitler, Mrs. Gandhi went ahead to transform India into a ‘dynastic Democracy’.

— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) June 25, 2018

Amit Shah: The BJP chief tweeted that the Congress imposed Emergency for political greed and in the process, murdered India’s democracy. He also remembered and thanked all those who retaliated against the government at that time.

1975 में आज ही के दिन कांग्रेस द्वारा मात्र सत्ता में बने रहने के अपने राजनीतिक स्वार्थ के लिये देश के लोकतंत्र की हत्या कर दी गयी। देश की संसद को निष्क्रय बना कर उच्चतम न्यायालय को मूकदर्शक की हैसियत में तब्दील कर दिया गया और अखबारों की जुबान पर ताले जड़ दिये गये। pic.twitter.com/pq3iatp0BA

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 25, 2018

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Shobha Karandlaje: The BJP MP called it the “DARKEST period in India’s independence history.” “Thrown Lakhs of people in jails and curtailed freedom to speak. An @INCIndia gift, which India will never forget, and never forgive!” she said in a tweet.

Shehzaad Poonawalla: The Congress supporter took a dig at the grand old party of India and posted a picture of the headlines published on 25 June, 1975.

Amrita Bhinder: Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha spokesperson, Amrita Bhinder said Gandhi’s Emergency was “darkest period of democracy”.

Arguably Indira Gandhi's #Emergency was darkest period of 🇮🇳 democracy when India virtually became a dictatorship, ironically under a lady whose father, Nehru laid foundations of that democratic sys, no?

Question comes to mind:
Did this dynasty sincerely believe in Democracy?

— Amrita Bhinder 🇮🇳 (@amritabhinder) June 25, 2018

Ravi Shankar Prasad: The Union law minister said that with the Emergency, “Indian democracy witnessed the biggest crisis in its history.” He shared memories of the time, when he was a young student and fought against the Emergency.

On 25th June, 1975 Indian democracy witnessed the biggest crisis in its history. As a young student leader I had fought against #Emergency to restore the freedom of individual, freedom of media and independence of judiciary. Sharing some memories of that. pic.twitter.com/YaucTV4vpj

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) June 25, 2018

Ananth Kumar: BJP MP and Union parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said the Congress-imposed Emergency cannot be “forgotten or forgiven”.

The dreaded #Emergency imposed on this country by @INCIndia is not to be forgotten or forgiven.

Time for our youth to know more about #emergency and vow to never ever let the #Naamdars repeat this terror regime on our country. pic.twitter.com/tgIEqhQwP6

— Ananthkumar (@AnanthKumar_BJP) June 25, 2018

Sudhanshu Mittal: In an apparent reference to Congress, the BJP leader said the party must apologise for its misdeeds instead of “trivializing the excesses and sufferings of the people”.

How ironic that the perpetrators of emergency are claiming an emergency like situation, today. Instead of trivializing the excesses and sufferings of the people during the emergency, they must apologise and penance for their misdeeds.#Emergency

— Sudhanshu Mittal (@SudhanshuBJP) June 25, 2018

Abhishek Manu Singhvi: The Congress national spokesperson said that nobody in the present leadership supported the Emergency.

No 1supports excesses of emer. Present cong l’drship never sprted it. But a decld emer, with wrongful measures, hd full test of accountability. undeclared emergency, as now in many areas like press, free speech, industry plus gross misuse of CBI, ED, IT, is far less regulatable.

— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) June 25, 2018